


Second Star to the Right

by BestDeadFriendsForever



Category: Black Sails
Genre: I read Peter Darling by Austin Chant and this is what happened, M/M, Peter Pan AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-06-03 03:44:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19455652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BestDeadFriendsForever/pseuds/BestDeadFriendsForever
Summary: Neverland was John's dream home. He was the King of his own world and the Prince of Youth who never had to do something as disgusting as grow up. He played with his friends- of which he had many in Neverland- and fought pirates. Until one day, a mysterious feeling pulls him away and he goes back to the world that he supposes he came from but does not remember.Ten years later, he finds his way back, but things are very different than when he left them. Neverland is no longer a place of boyhood playing at war, but actual wars between the Lost Boys and the pirate crew of the Walrus- headed by the notorious and fiendish Captain Flint who is John's archrival. John must save Neverland and the Lost Boys from destruction, while dodging the clutches of Captain Flint.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [StarEyesAndDiatribes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarEyesAndDiatribes/gifts).



_Prologue_

John Silver was the King of Neverland. He commanded the heavens and the ground and all those that lived there. He fought Neverland’s enemies and toasted alliances and victories with its friends.

John Silver was the Prince of Youth. He had no real way of gauging how much time had passed in Neverland- no one could because time didn’t touch Neverland like it touched the Other World- but he’d never gotten any older. He did not grow taller, his hair did not grow longer. His voice stayed that of a child and never dared to try and go any lower- except for when John himself willed it so because that way he could accurately make fun of grow-ups. Not even a single one of his baby teeth had fallen from his mouth.

And as of now, John Silver was **_bored_**.

Life on Neverland, while everything he wished and could dream up, was repetitive. It felt like the air had gone stale. The colors weren’t the same vibrancy as they’d once been. There were more glum, rainy days that kept John and the Lost Boys- his loyal band of courtiers and truest comrades-in-arms- trapped inside their home.

So John’s thoughts turned to the home that was his home before Neverland took him in.

It was a haze most of the time. He didn’t remember it too clearly, but he remembered that there was _something_ before there was Neverland.

He once broached the topic wit his fairy, but Madi had just made a face and scolded him for even thinking of such a reckless plan. If he didn’t remember what was out there, then he obviously didn’t need to go back. She’d turned her back on John and not spoken to him for the rest of the day. He’d had to coax her out of her little hollow in the wall with promises of staying and plenty of favors.

(Both of them would forget about them completely come the next morning but that wasn’t the point.)

John was skipping across the tops of trees with Madi one day when he felt a pull under his ribs. Since John was given over to flights of fancy, he took to the air with ease and followed where the pull was taking him.

Madi’s voice sounded in his ear, but it was like it was far away. He couldn’t quite make out what she was saying. It sounded like a warning, but John never listened to those. He could feel that this was going to be an adventure and he was never one to back down from adventure: so he continued flying until he was in a drizzly and greyish place that was both foreign and familiar at the same time.

The streets were made of rough, uneven stone that caught at his bare toes as he walked. When he next looked up, having just followed that pulling sensation, he was in front of a sinister-looking building with an imposing door and a brass plaque that read: _St. John’s Home for Orphan Boys_. Something in the back of John’s mind pricked at him to go inside, and so John did.

It would be many years before he could return to Neverland.

It would be many years that he spent berating himself for not listening to Madi’s warnings.


	2. Chapter 2

_Part One: John Silver Returns to Neverland_

Ten years- for John Silver- simultaneously felt like an age and the blink of an eye.

But holy _fuck_ was it good to be home.

He’d almost forgotten how freeing it felt to be able to fly again. His limbs felt like they’d been curled up and cramped until this very moment. He stretched his fingers and wiggled his toes for good measure before doing a somersault. He laughed so brightly that it reminded him of the fairy that was travelling under the collar of his shirt.

“Isn’t this fantastic, Madi?” John asked as they floated along above the clouds. Based on the intensity of the tugging underneath John’s ribs, they were getting close to Neverland.

“Don’t count on things being the way that they were, John Silver. Neverland has- and always will be- a savage place. You left your people to their own devices. You may not like what you find.” Madi’s face was crumbled with concern but John just snorted. His fairy has always been a bit of a worrywart when she wasn’t upset/angry with him.

Madi rolled her eyes at his clear show of arrogance but he- as usual- ignored her.

Despite having _grown-up_ in the Other World, John never really grasped the concept.

There was a break in the clouds and John couldn’t help the gasp that was pulled from his throat as he caught a glimpse of the shining emerald island that could be nothing other than Neverland. Tears pricked at his eyes, though he’d never admit to such a thing, as he slowed to a stop and just stayed in the air, looking over his lost kingdom. He scanned his eyes over everything before he cracked a more mischievous smile before diving down towards where he and the Lost Boys lived.

When he touched down on the ground, he was slightly disappointed, but he was still thrumming with anticipation as he made his way to his tree that let him go down to his and the boys’ hideout. He slipped down and it was a tighter fit than normal but he got down.

He found that the large bed that he and all the boys had piled into was gone and replaced with separate beds, though there was a partition that- when John went over to look behind it- the big bed was behind.

Everything seemed roughly the same as how he’d left it. The boys’ knives and bows still lay in scattered piles amongst their dirty laundry. Though now there were spears propped up neatly by the headboards of each boy’s bed and their quiver of arrows was hung around the post on the footboard.

John noticed that it did very little in the way of actually tidying up the room, but John had never cared for such things before. He wouldn’t reproach the boys for it now.

John kicked at the dirt floor, unsure of what to do in the time that he clearly had to wait on his playmates to return. He moved his big chair into the middle of the room and sat down. But part of him was sure that that was too boring of a reappearance, so he dug around in the partitioned room, at Madi’s direction, and found his old crown. He’d only worn it on the most solemn of occasions, and this most certainly felt like one of them. The metal was a little tarnished but after a quick spit-shine, it was almost like new.

(There were still a few spots but John wouldn’t allow their stubborn refusal to remove themselves to dampen his glorious return.)

He perched the crown atop his head and moved to sit in his chair- little more than a run-down armchair- like a throne. He made sure that he was in the perfect spot for all the boys to see him once they returned. He heard the thudding of footsteps after a little while and stuck his chin out defiantly so that no matter how he’d changed, they’d be sure to recognize him.

Only John Silver could balance an air of regality and arrogance so perfectly.

Almost in unison, the boys came down their own chutes and stumbled into the main area of their hideout. At seeing him, perched so gracefully and gracelessly, they all froze. Their eyes were wide and John had to suppress the same reaction at seeing they were no longer boys, but men.

Though John himself was, by technicality, also a man so he wasn’t sure why the realization hit him so hard.

“What’s going on?” One of the boys shouldered past so that he was standing in front of them all, despite not really needing to since he was nearly a head and a half taller than all of the rest. His eyes narrowed instead of widening and John instantly didn’t like that. He sat up straighter in an attempt to make himself look bigger.

“I am John Silver, the King of Neverland, and I’ve returned to take my proper place,” John said and at his grand declaration- thinking that he sounded rather clever- the boys all seemed to scowl.

“There is no King of Neverland. Not anymore,” the tall man said waspishly.

“I have been and always will be the King,” John said with a dark scowl, standing up slowly from his seat. “You all elected me to be your leader. Do you not remember?”

“Of course we do,” one of the smaller men said and he shifted on his feet nervously. John recognized him by this small childhood habit- it was Ben Gunn.

“And did I not lead you well? Did I not lead you into glorious battles with the greatest rewards?” John demanded, circling the small group.

“You did,” another man- Logan if John’s guess was correct- said reluctantly. The man who could only be Joji nodded in agreement to Logan’s statement.

“And who’s to say that I couldn’t do it again?” John asked and he raised an eyebrow. Joshua seemed to shrink into the taller man’s side.

“He’s got a point.” It was Muldoon who said it. John smiled- Muldoon had always been so very loyal to John in the past.

The tall man’s scowl only deepened. Since John had figured out the rest of the Lost Boys’ identities, this only left one name for the tall man in front of him: Billy. John and Billy had been rather close when they’d been children, but it seemed like that had ended in John’s absence.

“We don’t need to be lead into glorious battles. We’re at peace. And I’m going to make damn sure it stays that way!” Billy snapped.

John found himself at a loss. “What do you mean at peace? With the Natives?” There was a group of men and women that had lived on Neverland longer than anyone could remember. They hadn’t come from the Other World but had rather always been. John and his boys had always played war games with them.

“With them and with the pirates.” Billy looked pleased with himself but John let out a scoff that had him shrinking back a bit.

“They’re _pirates_ , Billy. We kill pirates, not make peace with them,” John said and crossed his arms. All the men seemed to take a step away from him at the obvious sign of his displeasure.

“Well we have,” Billy said. “It wasn’t getting us anywhere and besides, the Captain only seemed to have problems with _you_.”

John’s eyes narrowed at the mention of his arch-rival, the nefarious and notorious Captain Flint. “As all good rivals do,” John said and waved his hand. “By tomorrow he’ll have heard that I’ve returned and the peace will be broken. They’re pirates and their word doesn’t mean anything. I’d have thought I taught you all better than that by now.” John moved over to his chair and flopped down into it again. He took his crown off and tossed it onto the table. All of them seemed to track his movements but they didn’t do much on their own. They seemed stilted almost to John’s keen eyes.

“So tell me what you’ve been doing- besides negotiation peace treaties with pirates- while I was away,” John said and gestured to the group to sit if they’d like. Most of them did, besides Billy and Ben Gunn who’d always clung to Billy’s side like a splinter.

“There isn’t very much to tell, John,” Muldoon admitted and shrugged helplessly. “It took an awful long while for Billy to negotiate the peace and since then…” He shrugged again restlessly.

“You’ve not been playing any games?” John asked, his nose scrunched up in a frown.

“We only know war games, and since there was a peace,” Logan said and then snorted. “There wasn’t much to do after that I suppose.”

“Well, I suppose I’ve come back at just the right time then,” John said and gave them all a mischievous grin.

The rest of the men looked heartened at that, but Billy stayed rather sullen.

The night quickly came and John moved over to the bed behind the partition. It seemed a bed fit for a leader and since John was King of Neverland…

But then Billy was stepping round and frowning at where John was already pulling back the furs. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I think I’m getting into bed,” John said with a coy look flashed at Billy as he peeled his shirt off and tossed it aside. He stretched his arms over his head and couldn’t help but smile wider at how flustered Billy seemed at John removing just his shirt. Part of John- the part that always loved to tease and push at the edges of what others would tolerate- wanted to unfastened his pants and shuck them off as well just to see what Billy’s face would do. Yet, something in him made him hesitate and then decide against it.

“This is my bed,” Billy said after he’d recovered.

“Then where would I sleep?” John asked and gestured to the other room where all the beds were accounted for and occupied. “Besides, this bed is big enough for two people. It fit five boys.” John slipped into the bed and gestured to the other side. Billy seemed to be put out but he moved to that side and climbed in. Though John noted that Billy kept all his clothes on.

John just shrugged and curled up to get comfortable. Tomorrow would most likely be a long day after the pirates caught word of John Silver’s return. It put a smile on John’s face to image the shock on the captain’s face. He’d likely gone soft and lazy during the peace between pirates and Lost Boys.

Tomorrow, everything would change.

John could feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's John's reunion with the Lost Boys. Just so we're clear on which characters are which the Lost Boys are Muldoon, Ben Gunn, Logan, Joshua, and Billy. Hope you all enjoyed it! Comment and tell me what you thought  
> -James


	3. Chapter 3

_Part Two: How Captain Flint Hears of John Silver’s Return And Decides To Do Something About It_

Captain Flint had many pleasures.

He loved to sail- even it was just around the island. He loved to play the piano. And he loved to be between the thighs of any pretty lad, or the occasional lass, that caught his fancy. At the moment it was one of the crewmen- a tall, fair-haired lad whose name Flint couldn’t quite fully recall.

Flint ran his fingers through his partner’s hair and tugged on the silky strands playfully as their hips worked in tandem. The tension between them snapped like a thread and both of them were just riding out the residual waves of pleasure. He was mouthing along the line of the man’s neck when there was a solid knock at his cabin door.

He pulled away and frowned at the door. If it were urgent, whoever it was would knock again. If it wasn’t, they would likely just leave and wait to take it up later. After a brief pause, there was another knock and Flint’s irritation kicked up at being disturbed.

He pulled away from the other man and moved to grab up his trousers. His partner followed suit and by the time that Flint was wrenching the door open to glare at his second-in-command, Gates, the other was fully dressed and, when Gates pushed into Flint’s cabin, ready to slip easily out of the room. Flint frowned at where the other disappeared and then turned to glare at Gates. The other man was opening the window in the back of the cabin.

“Smells like a brothel in here,” Gates said with his nose wrinkled up in teasing displeasure. “How long have you had Thomas in here for?”

Flint shrugged and brushed the comment off. “What is it, Mr. Gates?”

Gates’s joking façade fell away and he turned serious. “Vane was scouting for any sort of sport and he swears that when he spoke to one of the Lost Boys- Joshua if Vane’s remembering the boy’s face correctly- said that Silver has returned.”

Flint froze at that and he felt his whole body grow stiff. “Silver?”

“That’s what Joshua told Vane.” Gates held up his hands and then put them on his waist, staring his captain down. “You know this doesn’t have to change anything about the treaty we made with the Lost Boys.”

“This changes _everything_ ,” Flint said and he shook his head. “With Silver back, there’s no way the Lost Boys will keep to their end of the bargain. Silver won’t let them.”

“If you’d let me finish,” Gates said with a touch of annoyance. “This doesn’t have to change anything, _if_ they give up Silver.”

Flint took that in and he moved to sit at his desk. Would the Lost Boys do such a thing to their beloved leader? But did Silver truly count anymore? He’d abandoned the boys for a decade without warning or any sort of explanation. The Lost Boys might just be amiable to such an arrangement. Flint hummed in thought and cracked a small smile. “Perhaps you’re right, Mr. Gates. Send word to Billy- without Silver’s knowing- about this additional stipulation to our treaty. Give them two days to decide.”

“I’ll send Bonny with the message. They’ll never hear her coming,” Gates said and the corner of his mouth twitched up.

…..

John hummed to himself as he sharped his dagger and thought about what fun he and the Lost Boys could get into today. “Has Flint’s crew found all our caches?” John asked and tipped his head backwards to look at where Billy, Muldoon, and Joji were studying a map.

Muldoon looked over and then shook his head. “Nah,” he said and gestured for John to come over. John did with a small smile tugging at his mouth and he leaned his hip against Muldoon’s shoulder. “They’ve found these ones,” Muldoon and pointed to two locations on the map where they all knew some of John’s treasures were hidden. “And we’re not sure about this one, but we know for sure they haven’t found the one on Skull Rock.” Muldoon tapped the small island with his finger. “The pirates are too superstitious to set foot on land there.”

John nodded. “We should go treasure hunting today,” John suggested and clapped a hand down on Muldoon’s shoulder.

“What for?” Billy asked irritably and John frowned at that.

“Because we don’t want Flint and his crew getting their hands on it,” John said. He didn’t understand how Billy seemed so at ease with the idea of the pirates amassing wealth and influence. It didn’t sit right with John, but Billy had always been loyal when they were boys so John had no real reason to doubt him now. “If you’re afraid-”

“I’m not afraid!” Billy snapped and stood, his chair making an awful racket. Despite being considerably smaller than Billy, John didn’t even blink.

“Prove it then.” John stared Billy down without blinking and the other shrank a little.

Something seemed to shift in Billy and he nodded meekly. “I will,” he said quietly, almost to himself, and John nodded approvingly.

…..

It took longer than John was accustomed to for the Lost Boys to get ready to go. Billy sent Joji ahead to scout the area out and make sure there were no pirates while the rest of the them armed themselves. John strapped his dagger to his hip and when Joshua handed him a sword, he smiled at his friend and tucked it into his belt as well.

John went over to the alcove in the wall and held out his hand for Madi. She was scowling but she stepped into his palm and alighted onto his shoulder when he placed her there. “Be careful, John Silver,” Madi said and when John turned to look at her, she was staring at Billy.

Billy glanced up from where he’d been securing his quiver of arrows and when he noticed John and Madi looking at him, he shifted on his feet. John shook his head at Madi. “You worry too much, Madi.” He lifted his finger to gently bump her and she bit the first knuckle of his finger. He hissed at the pain- akin to an insect bite or sting- that shot through his finger. He narrowed his eyes at her and she stuck out her tongue at him.

“Is everyone ready?” John asked, suddenly ready to get underway. All of the Lost Boys nodded as they patted down where their weapons were stowed. “Then let’s go.” John smiled brightly. They all started out into the dwindling evening sunlight and John was a little disappointed at not being able to fly, but he wanted to walk with his friends.

John was between Muldoon and Logan, with Joshua not far from Muldoon’s other side, and they chatted quietly as they walked through the thick forest. John felt at peace here. Muldoon and Joshua were ribbing Logan relentlessly about Logan’s declaration that he was going to marry one of the mermaids- Charlotte was her name and John recognized it- while the others darted through the trunks and underbrush.

Joji came back and with a series of hand gestures he communicated with Billy. Billy nodded and then clapped his hand down on Joji’s shoulder. He turned to the rest of them. “Joji says that the coast is clear.”

“Perfect,” John said as the trees began to thin out as they got closer to the coastline. “I’ll fly ahead while the rest of you row out.” John was in the air before anyone could respond. John did a quick fly-by around the island in search of any sign of trouble, but just as Joji had said, there was none. John lightly touched down and watched as his friends rowed out to the island.

“I don’t trust Billy,” Madi said from her shielded position under the collar of John’s shirt.

“Billy is my friend, Madi,” John said quietly, knowing that his voice could carry along the water. “He wouldn’t betray me.”

“I warned you that Neverland has changed.”

“I remember.”

“That includes the Lost Boys. They aren’t little ones in need of leadership, they’re men who know their own minds. And they became that without you,” Madi said and crawled out from his collar so she could fly in front of his face. “You need to be wary of everyone and everything, John. Just… trust me.”

John sighed, buffeting Madi a little with the force of his breath, and then nodded. “Alright then. I’ll be careful.”

“Thank you.” Madi darted in to press a quick kiss to his cheek before she settled under his collar again. Soon after their short conversation, the Lost Boys landed on the coast of Skull Rock and disembarked.

“Follow me,” John said and the men followed after them. They walked inside the cave that sloped downward. John was thankful for Madi on his shoulder, casting a soft light on the rock wall and illuminated the sharp twists of the slope down.

It was still- despite Madi’s glow- rather dark when they got to the chamber where the treasure was hidden. The men were right behind John as he stepped forward toward the small chest. He opened it and riffled through. There were coins and jewels that John and the Lost Boys had found washed up in the Mermaid Lagoon, but there were also vials of pixie dust that had been gifts to John from the Faerie Queen. That was more what John was concerned with preventing the pirates from getting their hands on.

John grinned. “It’s all here lads!” John said and turned and was startled to see that the Lost Boys were towards the edges of the room while Captain Flint’s crew was surrounding John. John gaped at them, at a loss for words.

“Hello, Silver.” John turned to see Flint himself standing there, and then Flint was raising his hand and then- in a flash of sharp pain- everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silver has fallen into the clutches of Captain Flint! I left it here for transitional purposes and because this chapter would have been incredibly long if I hadn't. Comments and kudos give me life   
> -James


	4. Chapter 4

_Part Three: What Happened After John Was Captured By The Nefarious Pirate Captain, Jas. Flint_

John came to slowly and he felt a horrible throbbing in his head. He blinked sluggishly and then rapidly to try and clear his vision. But it stubbornly remained dark. It took John longer than he would have liked to admit to come to the realization that he was blindfolded. John tried to move, to pull the blindfold from his eyes, and realized that he was tied to whatever he was sitting on. John let out a frustrated hiss through his teeth and tried- in vain- to pull free from his bonds until the throbbing in his head became too much and he had to stop and rest.

He stiffened when he heard a door swinging open and then shutting. There was a brief pause before John heard the solid thud of boots on wooden planks. John expected the blindfold to be ripped from his eyes, but deft and gentle fingers tugged at the knot until the fabric was loose enough to slip down around John’s neck.

John blinked against the light in the room that streamed in from the big bay windows. He was obviously in the Captain’s cabin of the _Walrus_ even though John had never actually stepped foot inside it before.

It… wasn’t what he’d been expecting.

It was simpler than John would have imagined for the rather dramatic man. The walls were rather plain, as was the desk and bed that were bolted to the floor. The linens that covered the bed were a faded blue and looked rather soft. The things that surprised John the most- and were the most luxurious things in the room- were the small piano tucked into the corner and the bookshelves that lined two walls and were full to bursting. The shelves were slightly warped under their rather heavy load.

“So I finally have you at my mercy, Silver.”

John jumped at hearing Flint’s voice. He’d been so wrapped up in his inspection of the room that he’d forgotten that he wasn’t alone.

“Where are the Lost Boys?” John asked. “What have you done to them?”

Flint stepped around to lean back against his desk. He honestly looked rather surprised. “What does it matter to you?” Flint asked. There was none of the usual malice that usually dripped from his voice when he spoke to John.

“They’re my men,” John said and narrowed his eyes.

There was a beat and then Flint was laughing at him. John felt heat creeping up the back of his neck and he was sure that his ears and cheeks were burning red with shame. If there was anything John Silver truly despised, it was to be laughed at.

“My dear boy,” Flint said after he’d recovered, “who do you think gave you up?”

Flint could have struck John- or even run him through- and it would have hurt less.

John wouldn’t let himself be affected in front of Flint, no matter how hard the tears pricked at the corners of his eyes. John tilted his chin up and scowled at Flint. “They wouldn’t.”

“They did,” Flint said bluntly. “You abandoned them all those years ago and now they’re their own men. They don’t need you to tell them what to do, what to think, and how to do so.” Flint shook his head. “They’re men, not boys. Not all of us have the luxury of not growing up.”

John swallowed thickly. “So you have me? What now, Flint?” John asked nastily and snapped his teeth. “Going to execute me?”

“The thought does have an appeal to it,” Flint said with a lazy shrug. John, long ago, had told Flint that to die would be an awfully big adventure, so Flint and John both knew that the younger wasn’t afraid to die. “Though I’m afraid that won’t be in the cards for you.”

John frowned, feeling very wrong-footed now. “Why not?”

Flint’s mouth twitched up in a small smile. “A mutual friend has persuaded me otherwise.” There was a soft, familiar sound before Madi came out from under the collar of Flint’s heavy coat and gave John a disapproving look.

“Madi?” John sucked in a gasp.

“She persuaded me to let you keep your life, though you will have to go to the farthest corner of the island and live out your days there. No men to command and cut off from the pixie dust supply that gives you your powers. She made a compelling argument for you, Silver. I must give her that and shall not waste her efforts.” John hated how fond Flint’s smile looked as he glanced at Madi.

“I’d rather die!” John hissed and pulled at his bonds again.

“Don’t be stupid,” Madi said as she flew over to John and pressed her tiny hands to his forehead.

“First, the Lost Boys betray me to make peace with these pirates,” John spat and shot Flint a venomous look, “and now you?”

“I am not betraying you, John,” Madi said and yanked on one of the curls that was falling into his eyes. “If you would only _listen_ -”

“No!” John cried and the tears finally stopped pricking at his eyes to roll down his cheeks.

The ship suddenly lurched and Flint, despite being a masterful seaman, scrambled to keep his footing. Madi’s tiny eyes widened in what seemed like fear. The ship pitched the other way and Flint barely caught himself on the edge of his desk. There was shouting from outside and Flint gave John a strange look before making his way out of the cabin and onto the deck.

Madi darted down to Silver’s wrists and with a few tugs and bites, the ropes fell away and he was free. “Don’t go back to the Lost Boys,” Madi warned. “Go to the far end of the island and wait for me. The other faeries will protect you.”

John didn’t like to lie to his faery. She’d been all he’d had for such a long time, but he couldn’t let this go. The Lost Boys had been his friends and they’d given him over to the pirates, fully knowing what that would mean.

But John did lie. He nodded to her and ran over to the window. He unlatched it and threw it open. He was perched on the sill, looking back at Madi to ask why she wasn’t following, when the door banged open to reveal Flint and Gates, both soaked to the skin from the sudden storm. John sucked in a quick breath and jumped.

The fall was too short to properly orient himself for flight so he hit the water, belly-first, hard before sinking.

…..

In the years that John Silver had been gone, Flint and Madi had struck up a rather odd companionship. Sometimes she would come and just sit and listen to him play the piano. Other times the two of them would talk. About Neverland, about their respective days, and about how much they missed Silver.

Flint had learned a great deal about the boy through those conversations.

His dislike of the boy’s arrogance never faltered, but a part of him began to understand and maybe even find a kinship with Silver. Though Madi never went into specifics- now whether it was from friendship or because she truly didn’t know Flint had never managed to figure out- Flint knew that John’s life before Neverland had not been a pleasant one. Something had happened to make him so closed off and to make him hate the idea of growing up.

The Other World had always been a terrible place.

Flint couldn’t recall any of his life before Neverland, aside from a few small facts of his childhood and his naval training, but he had the distinct feeling that it was better that way. Maybe John Silver was the same.

So Flint had easily agreed not to kill him at Madi’s request.

Neverland wouldn’t have been the same without John Silver in it anyway. His decade-long absence had proven that much.

But Flint seriously considered shooting the little shit anyway when he came back into the cabin and found Silver poised to jump out of his window. The young man jumped and Flint swore a blue streak as he heard the accompanying splash.

“Forget the boy,” Gates said and shook his head as he tugged at Flint’s sleeve. “We’re going to have bigger problems if that mast breaks.” Flint looked back at the window before he let out a hiss of frustration. He pushed his sleeves up.

“Let’s secure those sails, Mr. Gates.”

…..

John swam back to the shore and for a long while he just lay on his back, staring up at the stormy sky. Sand was scratching at his bare neck but he ignored it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he pushed himself up and started off at a run through the forest.

He could fly, but for now he needed time to collect himself and his thoughts.

He slowed to a trot before stopping and just closing his eyes. He could hear the normal forest sounds around him combined with the sounds of thunder and rain falling onto the lush foliage above his head. If he hadn’t been soaked from the swim, he certainly would have been from the rain. If he focused hard enough he could hear the thud of his heart underneath it all.

_His heart was hammering against his ribs as he curled up tighter so that he wouldn’t be seen. He didn’t want anyone to notice him. Not now. He was scared and he ached all over. Any minute he was sure that the housemaster would find him and-_

John jerked back into the moment and violently pushed those memories away. They must have been from the Other World- and if John never thought of that place again it would be too soon. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and started walking again. The farther into the forest he wandered, the calmer he felt.

Not long before John reached the Lost Boys’ hideout, the rain slowly stopped.

When John stepped into the small clearing that housed the tree that lead down to his and the Lost Boys’ home, he found them all huddled and soaked through from the rain. There was a gasp from one of them. They all turned to stare at John.

“Flint was meant to kill you!” Billy blurted out, obviously shocked to see John still alive.

“Obviously he didn’t,” John snarled. He stalked forward and all the other boys scrambled back and away, but Billy seemed rooted to the spot. John’s hand flashed to his hip for his dagger…

Only to find it missing from the sheath.

Flint must have taken it when he’d captured John.

Billy seemed to realize it in the same moment that John did. He let out a quick breath of laughter through his nose before he grabbed at John. John easily slid from the bigger boy’s grip and took to the air.

“Come down and fight fair, John!” Billy shouted in obvious anger. “Or are you a coward?”

That word struck John down the core and he immediately put his feet back on the Earth. “No one calls me a coward, Billy Bones!” John snapped. “Especially not the likes of you!” John launched himself at Billy and they tumbled to the forest floor. They wrestled for a long time, Billy clipping John’s nose and then landing a hard hit to his jaw. John’s teeth felt like they were rattling in his head as he wedged his feet under Billy and kicked as hard as he could. It displaced Billy long enough for John to get away, blinking rapidly to clear his stinging eyes.

“Billy, John, stop!” Muldoon- finally broken out of his shock- shouted.

John was distracted for a moment and Billy took it. He slammed John down hard onto the ground, knocking the air out of him and leaving him stunned and lying prone. Billy turned to one of the others to demand something, no doubt a knife, as John gasped for breath, his ears ringing loud enough that he couldn’t quite understand any of the noises around him. Finally, Billy seemed to give up since none of the others immediately complied.

John couldn’t swallow down the pained yelp as Billy’s hands wrapped around his throat. Pain caused by lack of oxygen pounded at John’s temples and he kicked and flailed his arms uselessly. His hand caught on something hard, something sharp, and in his desperation, he grabbed it and swung it around as hard as he could to collide with the side of Billy’s skull.

Billy dropped like a stone and a spray of blood painted John’s face.

John gasped and coughed as air suddenly returned to his lungs. He held tightly onto his only weapon despite the way it cut into his hand. Yet it seemed that no one was going to come after him. He finally caught his breath and struggled to his feet.

“Who else knew about this?” John asked, his voice raspy from Billy trying to strangle him.

Joji stepped forward silently.

“Did you agree with Billy wanting me dead?”

Joji shook his head. John’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“Does anyone else?” John asked and he eyed each of them in return. None of them stepped forward to speak. Something compelled John to continue talking. “I didn’t mean to leave you all those years ago. I never would have. I didn’t want to.” John shook his head. “And I tried to get back here, so many times, but it never worked. I was closed off and alone, until now. So, I’m… I’m sorry.” John didn’t like to apologize at all, let alone for things that weren’t his fault. But each of the men looked shocked and impressed with John’s admission.

“But what about the peace?” Ben asked timidly. He didn’t seem to want to be the one to ask, but he’d been the closest to Billy.

John took a long moment to think. “Flint spared my life today. Perhaps… perhaps we can parlay with the pirates. If the terms are agreeable and fair,” John had to swallow his pride, “then we shall have peace again.”

They all seemed relieved at that.

Peace seemed boring to John, but almost being murdered by his own men seemed much worse. John flicked his eyes over to Billy and he moved to the man’s side and crouched. He put his hand in front of Billy’s face to find that no breath stirred his lungs. “Bury him properly.” John wasn’t feeling particularly charitable, but it wouldn’t do to order Billy- a respected member of their band- to be tossed to the crocodiles.

John, feeling much safer as Joji, Ben, and Joshua moved to lift Billy and carrying him off to where they would bury him, dropped the blood-stained rock. His hands trembled slightly but John clenched them tightly- despite the stinging pain- to hide it.

“Should lemme look at those,” Muldoon said and tapped the inside of John’s wrist.

“Yeah,” John said and he stood still for a long time. He’d promised to meet Madi on the other side of the island, but he was safe now and he just wanted to rest. So when Muldoon took a hold of John’s wrist, John let himself be pulled along and down into the comfort of his Neverland home.

…..

John slept very fitfully that night. He felt like Billy’s hands were permanently wrapped around his throat and if he closed his eyes for even a second, the pressure was there and he couldn’t breathe again. So he pushed himself up, pulled the furs around himself tightly, and waited for the morning light to filter down through the exposed places of the roots that made up their roof. He must have dozed for a bit because when he closed his eyes it’d been hazy and grey, but when he opened them, there was a rosy and golden color lightening the room and John could smell the beginnings of breakfast being cooked.

John, on shaky legs, stumbled out and couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips at seeing his men all huddled around the table with sleep still in their eyes and pillow creases on their cheeks or necks.

John sat at his normal place and nodded his thanks when Joshua passed him a cup of rainwater.

“Should take another look at those,” Muldoon said around a yawn. He gently plucked at the torn linens that were serving as bandages around John’s palms.

“I’d appreciate it,” John said- his voice still rough and raspy from what little sleep he had gotten. He glanced around the table and narrowed his eyes slightly. “Where’s Logan?”

The others looked around as if they hadn’t realized that Logan was missing from their ranks. “Must’ve snuck out to visit the mermaids,” Joshua said with a casual shrug. “He tends to do it every now and again.”

“Visiting Charlotte, no doubt,” Muldoon snorted.

John nodded but deep in his gut he knew this wasn’t the case. Something just felt… off. Too much had happened in the last hours for John to feel at ease just yet. “Why don’t one of you go after him? Don’t want him to miss breakfast.” Ben got up dutifully and headed to the exit of their hideout so he could scramble up the ladder.

There was a long stretch of silence, just the sounds of breakfast cooking and the men shuffling about in their seats. Then there was a shout and Ben was thundering back down the ladder. “You hafta see this,” Ben said, his voice breathless from his sprint.

They all got up and headed aboveground. They all stood in hushed awe at the sight in front of them. Logan was battered and tied to the tree directly in front of them with a note pinned to his chest.

John strode forward and- after cutting Logan’s bonds- picked up the note.

_Parlay on my ship. Tonight, 7 o’clock sharp. Wear appropriate dinner attire._

_Signed,_

_Cpt. Jas. Flint_

John grit his teeth as he took in the swirling penmanship. He traced his fingers over the signature before turning to the other men. “Bring Logan inside and tend to him. Tonight, I’ll deal with Hook once and for all.”

…..

Muldoon fluttered around John anxiously as John pulled on his best clothes. He smoothed out his shirt and tucked it into his tan trousers before pulling them up into place. They sank down to his hips despite his best efforts. “I’m not sure you could go,” Muldoon said as John reached over to look at the two jackets that were laid out on the bed. His black one was too frayed around the edges so he pulled on the bright blue one.

“I don’t really have a choice,” John said as he tugged it onto his shoulders. “Flint attacked one of my men and I won’t stand for it.”

Muldoon nodded and he stepped up to straighten out John’s jacket. “Just… come back, yeah?”

John cracked a small smile and covered Muldoon’s hands with his own. “I’ll be careful.” Muldoon nodded and let his hands slip from John’s. “How do I look?” John asked and held his arms out before giving a dramatic turn and a cheeky smirk.

Muldoon’s cheeks flushed for a moment before he ducked his head. “Perfect.”

“Not yet,” John said and he turned to hop over his bed and dig in the treasure chest next to his bed. He pulled his crown out and perched it onto his head. The silver glinted perfectly and he smiled at his reflection in his looking-glass. “There. Now I’m ready.”

…..

Flint brushed off his nicest coat and slipped the dark leather onto his shoulders. He hardly had any occasions to wear his nicer clothes anymore. He regretted that it had to start with bloodshed- the young man Logan had never done anything to the pirates in the decade since Silver had left- but that was the language that Flint _knew_ he and Silver had in common.

Flint leaned back against his desk as he watched Thomas bustling about setting up the dinner that Flint had ordered to be set up for this parlay. Once everything was set out, Flint waved Thomas out and he narrowed his eyes slightly at everything. He was going to make sure that everything was perfect. He shifted some things around and then moved to straighten up the rest of the room as well.

When Flint heard the usual chatter from the deck fall completely silent, he knew that Silver had landed on the deck and was mostly likely being escorted to Flint’s cabin by Gates. Flint was standing behind his chair when the door opened to reveal Gates. His quartermaster stepped aside to reveal John Silver in all his glory.

Flint’s skin prickled with familiar attraction at the sharp and beautiful figure that Silver cut as he stepped inside the cabin. Of course, the brattish young man was wearing that ridiculous crown. The thing was clearly too big for him due to the way it slipped down slightly on one side and sat at a jaunty angle. His pants were fitted tightly to his shapely legs and his white shirt was practically transparent. And his blue jacket brought out the bright blue of Silver’s eyes framed with dark lashes.

In short, Silver was far too pretty for Flint’s continued health and well-being.

“Silver,” Flint said and gestured for the young man to take the seat across from where Flint was standing.

“Captain,” Silver sniffed petulantly, his chin up defiantly as he moved to mirror Flint’s position.

The two of them were having a silent duel- trying to see which one of them would bend to the other one first. Flint decided it would be best to just relent if this meeting was going to be productive at all. He sat and pointedly gave Silver a look for him to do the same. It seemed to please the younger man and he relaxed a little and looked around the cabin with curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

It was entrancing.

“So, shall we talk terms?” Silver asked.

“Later,” Flint said dismissively and stood. Silver seemed to draw back when Flint stood at the side of the table. Flint let out a soft chuckle at the instinctive reaction. He dished out a helping of what Madi had once told him Silver was particularly fond of, and then stepped away to sit down at his own place.

Silver’s young face was creased with a frown.

“You seemed very disappointed the last time we talked,” Flint said.

“In what?”

“In your kingdom,” Flint said and nodded towards the crown on top of Silver’s head. “At the way your men weren’t quite your men anymore.”

“You made sure of that,” John said and narrowed his eyes, the tension coming back into his shoulders.

Flint grimaced. “I took no pleasure in the deal with Billy.”

“Then you’ll take no pleasure in the news that I killed him,” Silver said and his blue eyes were narrowed in suspicion as he stared at Flint’s face, gauging Flint’s reaction.

Flint shrugged. “I don’t care either way for Billy. His living wouldn’t affect me any more than his dying.” Silver seemed to be measuring him up and seeing if he believed Flint’s statement. He let it go at any rate.

“Well, I can admit that I was disheartened to see that things weren’t as I left them, but I suppose that I’ll just have to adapt. _Keep Calm_ and all that.” Silver shrugged and Flint narrowed his eyes for a moment at the familiar phrase that he couldn’t quite place.

“I see,” Flint said. He set his cutlery down and stood. “Could I interest you in some music? Glass of wine perhaps?” Flint had both a pitcher of wine and water set on a side table and he’d filled the crystal glasses with water to start. Now it seemed that the alcohol- despite its weakness- would ease the tension that was making the room stifling.

Silver watched him carefully before nodding almost shyly. Flint held out his hand for Silver’s glass and the younger man passed it to him, their fingers brushing for the shortest moment.

It felt like a spark had jumped from Silver and into Flint. It made his heart skip half a step and caused a genuine smile to tug at the corner of his mouth. Silver blinked rapidly- as if he’d felt it too- before clumsily jerking his arm back to his side.

…..

John wasn’t sure how he felt about the strange shift in the room after his fingers had gently brushed over Flint’s. It’d been for a single moment and it was such a small thing, but it’d made his stomach roil and roll. It made him feel hot but also made his arms break out into goosebumps.

It felt like falling- but it also felt like plummeting from a great height with no idea if one could save themselves.

Flint filled up John’s glass and then a glass for himself before setting John’s on the side table as he moved to the piano tucked away in the corner. John went over and picked it up- for lack of a better thing to do with his hands- and stood there as Flint shuffled through some sheet music that was sitting on the stand.

John clutched the glass to his chest and just watched.

For a moment, John forgot that he was looking at his archnemesis and simply marveled at the beauty of the man and the music before him. John’s eyes slipped shut at the crescendo. As the notes slipped away, John let his eyes open and he felt himself flush to realize that Flint was staring at him.

He took a generous gulp of his wine to try and cover his reaction.

He didn’t even know why he was having this reaction. Flint was bad, he always had been, he couldn’t be trusted.

And yet…

John blinked rapidly- _why did he keep doing that?_ \- as he came back to the present and saw that Flint was right in front of him, around a handsbreath away from John’s face. John swallowed thickly and his eyes were immediately and inexplicably drawn to Flint’s mouth.

“I think,” Flint said softly in a way that had John’s knees going a little unsteady under him, “that we have much more in common than you might think, Silver.”

“Is that so?” John asked and he didn’t love how breathy and small his voice sounded.

“I do.” Flint slowly moved his hand to John’s hair. He pulled John’s crown off and set it aside so carefully- as if it were made out of chandelier glass instead of solid silver- that John couldn’t help but hold his breath in anticipation. “Do you trust me?” Flint asked and his fingers just barely ghosted over the hinge of John’s jaw.

“Not really.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll have to change that.”

Flint’s calloused fingers travelled from the corner of John’s jaw to just under John’s chin, tilting his head back. John knew exactly what was going to happen a split second before it happened. And he let it happen anyway.

John’s whole body lit up from the inside like a faerie nest when Flint kissed him softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some more of this AU. Sorry it took so long. I'm working on a few different things- and I was at a convention- but will hopefully be posting more often. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated :)  
> -James


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is sexual content in this chapter

_Part Four: Where Everything Goes Wrong In All the Best Way_

Flint’s calloused fingers travelled from the corner of John’s jaw to just under John’s chin, tilting his head back. John knew exactly what was going to happen a split second before it happened. And he let it happen anyway.

John’s whole body lit up from the inside like a faerie nest when Flint kissed him softly.

It thrilled him and terrified him in equal measure.

John expected for Flint to take the lead on the kiss, but it was obvious that the pirate was deferring to John’s comfort. John hesitated a little and Flint took it as discomfort and pulled away completely. John’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the way that Flint’s eyelashes cast shadows on his eyes. John had always thought they were green, but now that he was getting a closer look, he could see bits of blue mixed in alongside the green.

“Everything alright?” Flint asked and lifted his hand to move a stray curl from John’s eyes.

“I-I dunno,” John said thickly. His tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of his mouth. He felt hot all over and shaky. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t wholly pleasant either. Something almost like hurt flashed in Flint’s eyes and John- impulsively- dived forward and kissed Flint again. It was sloppy and at first John’s teeth knocked into Flint’s, but then Flint held his face steady and, without domineering the kiss, guided John into something a little more pleasurable for the both of them.

John felt like his chest was filled with fluttering faerie wings as he pressed his whole body closer into Flint’s. He jumped a little at the obvious feeling of Flint’s cock pressed against the join of his hip and thigh.

John had never actually kissed anyone like this. Not in Neverland and certainly not in the Other World. He wasn’t sure what to do, but he knew where it supposedly led to. The thought didn’t frighten him, nor did it repel him to think of Flint being the one to do it.

That certainly confused John to no end.

But then all thoughts bled out of John’s mind as Flint’s hands began to move across his body, rucking up his shirt and then coming into contact with John’s bare skin. John’s body jerked of its own volition and pressed impossibly closer into Flint’s body. John made an involuntary and soft noise in the back of his throat and that was all it took to snap Flint into motion.

Flint walked them towards the bed and pulled away to take a breath and look John over. “Is this alright? We don’t- obviously, we don’t have to.” John held onto the lapels of Flint’s jacket so that Flint wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

“I want to.” John gave him a small smile. “If you think you can keep up, old man.”

Flint’s laugh was a bright and wonderful thing.

“I think you’ll find I’m more than capable.” The words and the near-predatory smile that went along with it sent a thrill of excitement down John’s spine.

“Good,” John said, and he chewed his lip. He moved his hands restlessly over Flint’s chest because he wasn’t sure what else to do yet. Flint covered his hands to stop their fidgeting.

“If you want me to stop, tell me. I won’t make you do anything that you don’t want. I may be a pirate, but I still have my morals.” John nodded mutely. Flint shook his head at that. “If we’re going to do this, I need to know you’re going to communicate- verbally- because I can’t read your mind. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” John said, forcing his voice out past the lump in his throat. Flint’s eyes softened a little and he moved that same stubborn lock of hair away from John’s eyes. His fingers ghosted over John’s cheek and John couldn’t help but tip his head into the contact.

“Alright then,” Flint said softly, and he moved to kiss John again, but this time it wasn’t simply a long press of lips, or a feverish and desperate kiss. It was slow and methodical, and it made John warm all the way down to his toes- though the heat pooled low in John’s belly. Flint’s hands slid under John’s jacket and carefully took it off and tossed it aside.

Flint’s kisses trailed away from John’s mouth and down his neck as Flint started to unbutton John’s shirt. John tipped his head back so that Flint would have better access to the sensitive skin. The brush of Flint’s facial hair made John’s skin prickle in its wake- another sound pulled from John’s throat.

John was perfectly content when Flint finally managed to get his shirt open and off his shoulders. It wasn’t until Flint was reaching for John’s trousers that there was a problem. Flint’s hand easily slid into John’s trousers, since John wore them so loose around his hips, but when he got them inside- he stopped completely.

John’s heart kicked up in fear at Flint’s reaction. He pulled away from John’s kiss-bitten neck and looked at John with a furrow in his brow. “I-uh-” John wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t sure if he should be apologizing or explaining himself.

…..

It certainly explained a few things, Flint thought. It didn’t bother him: Silver was still devilishly handsome and smart as a whip and inexplicably alluring. It just meant that Flint needed to frame his approach a little differently.

Flint took a breath. “This doesn’t change anything- unless you want it to-” Flint reassured, “but I’m going to need a little more guidance than before.”

“What do you mean?” Silver squeaked out, his face flushing red from shame instead of pleasure.

“I’ll need you to tell me what I’m allowed to do- where I’m allowed to touch, what you’re comfortable with,” Flint explained calmly. Silver seemed to relax a little at that. Flint pulled his hand from Silver’s trousers and looked at him seriously. “So what would you like me to do?”

Silver’s breath caught. “Everything.”

Flint cracked a smile at that response. “Well, we better get started if we’re wanting time to negotiate afterwards.” The insecure little smile slipped off of Silver’s face and it was replaced with the familiar quicksilver grin.

It went straight to Flint’s cock.

“I think you’re very much overdressed, Captain,” Silver said, and he pushed Flint’s jacket off his shoulders and Flint tugged his arms out so that it fell to the floor. Flint kicked it aside so he could toe off his boots and kick them aside as well. Silver’s hands were shaking from what Flint assumed was excitement as he yanked Flint’s shirt out of his breeches.

Flint had to lean away from where he’d ducked in to kiss Silver again as Silver got rid of Flint’s shirt. Silver ducked away from Flint’s kiss so he could study the skin in front of him with single-minded intensity. He traced his fingers over Flint’s freckles and some older scars. Flint shuddered at the sensation. Flint pulled him in for another kiss and Silver clung onto Flint’s shoulders, his blunt nails digging into Flint’s skin.

Silver’s hands came to rest against the front of Flint’s breeches and Flint pulled away so that their mouths would be free for talking. “You can take them off of me.” Silver’s eyes flicked up to Flint’s and he gave Flint that cock-sure grin before he was opening up Flint’s breeches and pushing them down.

Flint stepped out of them and just let Silver take him in. Silver’s eyes darted all over Flint’s body, as if he couldn’t decide where he wanted to look, and Flint couldn’t help but laugh. “We’ll get to all of it if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Good,” Silver said breathlessly.

“Fair’s fair,” Flint said and nodded to Silver’s trousers. Silver’s hand immediately went to the buttons and he undid them. He wiggled a little and they fell completely away but Flint made sure that his eyes were on Silver’s so that he didn’t feel uncomfortable. Once he seemed settled, Flint pulled him in for a kiss and let his fingers trip down Silver’s sides. He molded his hands around Silver’s hipbones and let his thumbs skim over the sensitive skin of Silver’s abdomen.

Flint shifted the two of them back so that Silver had no choice put to fall back onto the bed. Silver gasped a little at the initial shock but then he was greedily pulling Flint down after him.

Flint kissed down Silver’s neck and then his chest, pointedly making his way down and giving Silver time to stop him. Silver only pushed his fingers into Flint’s hair, dislodging the tie that kept Flint’s hair tidy and out of his face, before gripping it tightly.

Flint, like any good lover, bent his head to the task with enthusiasm.

And the sounds that Silver made, God, they were like music to Flint’s ears. Flint made sure to listen carefully to each sound and catalogue what Silver seemed to like best. By the time Silver was shaking and incoherent- freshly over the edge, Flint was feeling a budding sense of accomplishment. He pulled back and John Silver- honest to God- whined and bucked his hips up.

Flint hummed to him placatingly, stroking soft circles into the inside of Silver’s thigh. “What would you like now, John?” Flint asked.

“You,” Silver said and tugged at him gently so that they were level. “All of you.” It was confident, but still had an edge of shyness to it. Flint nodded.

“I just need-” Flint tugged at Silver’s hands, much to his displeasure if the pout was anything to go by. “Trust me on this.” Silver nodded slowly as Flint moved to the side table and dug inside for what he was looking for. When he found it he grinned and turned to Silver.

Silver was frowning at the condom in Flint’s hand. “What’s that for?”

Flint flushed a little. He’d never really had to explain it to anyone before. They’d always just _known_.

“It’s for- well it’s for sex, obviously,” Flint said. “It’s to prevent pregnancy and the spread of any diseases.”

Silver turned rather red and nodded meekly. “Oh. Right.”

Flint shuffled on his feet a bit. “We don’t have to go any farther than this.”

“I want to,” Silver said emphatically. “I just… I wasn’t- I’m a _man_ so I wasn’t…” He trailed off and his jaw was set as he picked at the blankets.

“You are, but that doesn’t mean anything. I wear them no matter what. It’s just a precaution,” Flint said. That seemed to soothe Silver’s wounded pride. He nodded and the scrunched-up expression on his face smoothed out.

Flint sat back down on the bed and he gave Silver a soft smile. “How do you want me to do this?” Flint asked gently, trailing the back of his fingers up Silver’s leg.

The other shuddered a little at the contact. He bit his lip and then he just shook his head. “I trust you,” he said, and it made Flint’s heart skip a little in his chest.

“Alright,” Flint said. “I think we’ll need to work up to… everything,” he said to put it delicately. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It can hurt?” Silver asked with a painful amount of childish naivety.

“If we don’t take it slow and if I don’t do things properly, then yes. It could. But I’m not going to do that. We’ll take things at your pace.”

Silver seemed pleased with that. “Then what are we waiting for?”

“Impatient, are we?” Flint teased as he slid the condom on, figuring it would be best if he did it now and did it himself.

“You have kept me waiting an awful long time, Captain,” Silver said.

“You know, you can call me James,” Flint said and gave Silver a soft smile.

“Maybe I will,” Silver said loftily, and Flint just wanted to kiss the insolence off his face. So he did.

…..

Whenever Flint kissed him, it felt like his whole body was on fire. He arched up so that more of his skin was pressed to Flint’s and he got a muffled moan in response. John could easily admit that he was eager and it was exhilarating to see his enthusiasm matched. It so rarely was.

Flint’s hands were all over and not at all in the right places. John pushed his hips up insistently to get his point across and Flint huffed out a breathy laugh against John’s mouth before finally- _finally_ \- slipping his hand between John’s legs.

The first touch had John jolting since he was still sensitive from earlier, but once Flint gentled his touch a little, it sent hot sparks skittering over John’s skin. John moaned into their kiss and hitched his hips a little. He could almost feel that there was more that he wanted but it wasn’t something he could articulate properly.

But Flint seemed to get his meaning because not long after that, Flint was slowly easing a finger into John, making John gasp and close his eyes against the sensation. “Relax,” Flint murmured against John’s neck and pressed soft, soothing kisses there.

“C-can’t,” John mumbled and shook his head. Flint pressed another kiss to John’s throat that distracted him against the foreign feeling of something in his body. John focused on the pressure of Flint’s mouth and the slightly abrasive scratch of hair over his skin. He’d relaxed enough that he was so absorbed in those sensations that he hadn’t realized that Flint was slowly moving his finger and that there was no discomfort attached, only pleasure. When Flint added another finger it was with little resistance and John tilted his hips up for a better angle. Sparks of pleasure tingled up and down John’s skin but it wasn’t enough- it didn’t satisfy him at all. It seemed to only further the exquisite agony that was caged under John’s skin.

John lost track of everything other than the feeling of Flint around him. The prickling brush of Flint’s facial hair on his cheek and neck, the warmth that rolled off his skin, the gentleness of his movements.

John’s breath left him in a rush as Flint pulled away. “Flint,” John whined, and he shakily pushed himself up on his forearms. He felt a little dazed and his head was practically spinning. Flint stroked the back of his hand across John’s cheek and he tilted his head to press a kiss to Flint’s skin.

“Ready?” Flint asked.

John huffed out an airy laugh. “I’ve _been_ ready.”

Flint snorted and shook his head. “Patience is a virtue.”

“But not one I’m in possession of, so get on with it,” John said impatiently, and he shoved at Flint’s thigh with his foot. Flint caught him by the ankle and used it to tug John further down on the bed. John and Flint both laughed as John pulled Flint down for a kiss.

John had been so absorbed in his amusement and the feeling of Flint’s mouth on his that he hadn’t noticed Flint shifting until Flint was pressing into him. John sucked in a sharp breath through his nose- he may even have let out a yelp if his mouth hadn’t already been preoccupied and if his pride would have allowed it- at the feeling.

He broke away from their kiss to press his forehead against Flint’s shoulder. His chest was tight and he felt just this side of uncomfortable, but Flint was staying completely still at John’s obvious discomfort. Flint pressed soft kisses to John’s temple and cheek that helped to slowly relax him.

…..

Flint knew that there might be some initial discomfort for Silver. With his obvious naivety, he hadn’t done such a thing before and Flint was determined to make sure that it was not a totally abhorrent experience.

Flint pressed gentle and- hopefully- distracting kisses to the side of Silver’s head. He nudged at Silver’s head so that he could see the other’s face and when Silver tipped his head back, he seemed better than he had just a moment ago. “Alright?” Flint asked and moved to trace his thumb over Silver’s flushed cheek.

Silver’s throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly before nodding. “Better, anyways,” he said and leaned into Flint’s touch, his eyes fluttering shut.

“If I’m hurting you-”

“You’re not,” Silver said prissily and opened his eyes. “Just fuck me already. We’ve already established I don’t have any patience.” Flint gave him a skeptical look but then Silver was arching his back and wrapping his legs around Flint’s hips in an obvious attempt to pull him in closer. Silver bit his already kiss swollen bottom lip and made a soft sound that was definitely more pleasure than any sort of pain.

It knocked the air straight from Flint’s lungs.

Silver wiggling his hips impatiently was all the encouragement and assurance that Flint needed. He moved his hips slowly, truly letting Silver get used to the feeling, before Silver’s nails digging into Flint’s shoulders spurred him into a more rigorous rhythm.

Flint’s breathing was shaky as he buried his face into Silver’s neck and nipped at the thin skin that covered his partner’s rapidly beating pulse. Silver’s hand slipped- most likely due to the sweat beading up on both their skin- from Flint’s shoulder and into his hair.

Flint breathed out harshly as he snapped his hips before reaching down between them to bring Silver closer to the edge since he could feel his pleasure building quicker than he’d have thought.

And like any lover worth the name, he wanted to bring equal pleasure to Silver.

…..

John felt like his whole body was out of his control and under Flint’s. The thought didn’t disturb him nearly as much as it would have only a few hours ago.

He gasped and arched his back as Flint coaxed his body higher and higher. His whole body trembled and his breath was short and labored. If John hadn’t just previously felt this way, though admittedly not as intensely, he would have been frightened. It felt like falling, but John knew there was going to be a soft place for him to land. He tugged sharply on Flint’s hair in warning since he couldn’t command his voice to obey him.

He shuddered and his vision went black, then speckled white as if there was a thick snowfall in front of his eyes, before he was catching his breath. He had blanked out to the point where he’d missed Flint’s release. He tipped his head back and let out a long breath before working to catch his breath.

He lifted his hand, which felt comically heavy, to stroke through Flint’s hair as they both waited to come back to their bodies completely. They were both dazed for a long moment as John twined Flint’s bright hair around his fingers.

Flint lifted his head and gave John a loose smile before ducking in to kiss him languidly. When he pulled back, John cracked a sleepy smile. “James…” He felt the way that Flint tensed and John suddenly wondered if he’d done something wrong. Flint pulled back so he was sitting back on his heels on the bed- John wincing in discomfort as Flint’s cock slipped from his body- looking dazed. “What is it?” Silver asked and pushed himself up despite the way his muscles protested.

Flint looked over at him and he blinked for a few moments. “Oh… nothing,” Flint said and he ducked his head. It effectively hid his expression from John. He lifted his head again and he had a tentative smile.

Flint pushed his hair out of his eyes before going about cleaning up.

John wasn’t sure what to do so he just stayed where he was, naked and sprawled casually in Flint’s bed. He dropped back down and ran a hand over his face. The sweat that had been prickling his skin was now starting to cool, leaving him chilled and tacky.

“We should negotiate now, I suppose,” John said and eventually pushed himself up onto stiff and still slightly wobbly legs. He stumbled over to where his clothes were in a pile on the floor of the cabin.

“Yes,” Flint said distractedly and he also moved to grab up his clothes.

They dressed awkwardly with their backs to each other.

Once they were back into their previous state, though both still shining with a bit of sweat and clothes a bit more wrinkled, they sat down across the table from each other and began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They did the nasty. That's straight up the whole point of this chapter and I'm not even gonna apologize for it.  
> -James

**Author's Note:**

> This is just the introductory piece for my Peter Pan AU. When I first read Peter Darling by Austin Chant, I couldn't get this idea out of my head. And after bouncing ideas around with StarEyesAndDiatribes, I finally started working on it. Hope y'all like it!  
> -James


End file.
